Red and Blue
by Legendary Search
Summary: Legend tells that Lini brought the twin Avyuir Blades with him to Eluut Sands after Gaol's death. No one has seen the blades since that tragic day. Centuries later, a group of adventurers set out on a journey to find the Avyuirs and save the world. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

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This story is adapted from our RP, Red and Blue. Therefore, it's a joint project of many members. Hope you enjoy reading it! We sure had fun writing it!

Read and Review!

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To ask an Ivalice-ian about the hero Gaol would be like asking a honey bee whether it liked honey.

_Local legend tells of a biskmatar Gaol, one of the Aisen 13 and wielder of the Ayvuir blades, who travelled the world alongside his moogle companion, the famous Mog Knight Lini. They were a powerful combination, along with their clan, and Gaol's lover, the Moon Maiden Evelyn. _

_Naturally, they made enemies left, right and centre due to their excessive power and fame. But the worst rival of all was the Salika keeplord, whom legend says wanted nothing except Evelyn's hand in marriage. When turned away, he became mad with grief and vengeance. He hatched out a plan to lure Gaol and Evelyn into his keep. He took Evelyn for himself and...the brave biskmatar died, brutally. Lini rushed to the scene, but it was too late. The three of them were only twenty years old. It was told that the Ayvuir blades turned scarlet with a mageknight's murder, and azure with the Moon Maiden's tears of grief. Greatly grieved, the loyal Mog Knight returned to his place of birth with the Ayvuirs red and blue to await the one worthy of his best friend's blessings. He was never seen or heard of again. This is the tale that has been passed on generation to generation. How true it is, no one knows, for the 13 have long moved on to the next life._

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_Countless had embarked on the search for Gaol's swords. None succeeded. Some even dared to set foot in the sacred ruins of Eluut Sands, rumoured to be the legendary Lini's origin. But their attempts were futile. Eventually, it was concluded that Gaol was merely a myth created by ignorant villagers, and the Ayvuir blades never existed. Precious few held fast to their beliefs. Some never gave up their efforts in the search of the sacred swords. And this is where our story begins..._

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Eliana stared at the map in her hands, and then at the wide desert that was Jeraw Sands. She sighed, "What does a girl need to do to reach a town..." She trudged on in the blazing heat. "How can there be so much sand in one place? Not even a single tree or even a large rock to give shade!" She kicked the stones beneath her boots in annoyance. "Damn desert."

Eliana growled when she got a faceful of sand. To find her brother or not, she was never setting foot in a desert ever again. NEVER. Dunes, dunes and dunes, all made of sand. In fact, she never wanted to see sand again, either. She swore if she saw another cactus, she would unleash her fury on it, despite its thorns. Which was exactly what she did. The sharp spikes jutting out of the plant pierced through her gloves, and she glared viciously at the offending (or innocent) cactus. The jolt sent an old signboard tumbling onto the ground from the plant. Picking it up, Eliana could just make out some words.

"Welcome to Eluut Sands." Tossing the piece of wood aside, she grumbled. "Great. Just great..."

* * *

Shadow looked out over the desert from his position on a sand dune. He was lost... again.

"Now how did I wind up in the desert?"

He murmured to himself glaring at the map in his hands. A strong gust of wind blew the map away from him and he chased after it.

* * *

'I can't believe I ended up in a completely different desert than I was heading towards...' But then, all deserts seemed to look exactly the same. Sand, sand and more sand. She couldn't emphasize enough on the sheer amount of sand in this place. She tipped her canteen upside down to find that it was completely empty. Mateus.

Eliana was thinking that her day couldn't get any worse when a map slapped her right in the face. Peeling the annoying piece of paper off her face, she noticed a figure rushing down from a dune. She could yell at him, ask for water, or ask for directions. She chose to do none of those things. Noticing his Sage robes, she blurted out, "Can you make it snow or something?"

Shadow looked at the girl ahead of him and raised an eyebrow.

"No..." he said slowly as he approached her intent on retrieving his lost map.

Eliana blinked. "Oops. The heat must have gotten to my head. But seriously, blizzard won't work? This place is so hot, it's ridiculous. How can anyone stand this type of weather? I'll do anything if it means that I can get to Cyril faster..." She glanced at him, having momentarily forgotten his existence. "Oh, and is this your map?"

"Well... blizzard might work, but with my luck lately I'd probably end up freezing you in a block of ice rather than cooling you down. Oh, and yes that is my map," Shadow said after a moment of thought.

"I swear, the heat causes mood swings... I sounded so weird just now..." Eliana sweatdropped. "Here, your map. By the way, I'm Eliana. Could you tell me which way is to Cyril?"

"Well, I could if I knew where it was myself. My sense of direction is nonexistent," Shadow said glaring at the map. "I'm Shadow by the way," he added as an afterthought.

"That's bad... It'll be like the blind leading the blind! I somehow managed to walk all the way from Jeraw Sands to Eluuts Sands. Why do all deserts look exactly the same? I'll never reach Cyril at this rate." Eliana unleashed her frustrations on a cactus by kicking it violently. It collapsed in a cloud of sand. "Jeez..." She fanned at the sand rather futilely, directing an annoyed glare at the fallen plant.

"Um... I don't think the cactus is to blame," Shadow said taking a slow step away from Eliana.

Eliana sighed. "But it's so freakingly hot!" A memory flashed unbidden through her mind. Strangely, it was something that she didn't recall doing before.

"It's so freakingly hot!" Eliana yelled in a voice rather more mature than her own. An idea struck. "Sliprain!" A large blob of water fell on top of her, refreshing her thoroughly. But when she tried to catch up with the others, her feet weighed her down. Because they were literally stuck in the mud. Eliana took a moment to gape at the legs covered by a long green skirt that was slitted almost all the way up her thigh, before she was jerked back to the present.

"What was that?" she blinked.

"What are you talking about?" Shadow asked looking at her over the top of the map.

She blinked, having forgotten that he was there. "Uh, nothing. Just remembered something." Looking at the map in her hands, she sighed, "So what are we going to do now? Maybe we might find a village or something if we walk around... But knowing our luck, we might just stumble across Lini's tomb or something." Eliana felt a pang in her heart. It was most likely sympathy for the warrior who had lost his friends... Gaol... Evelyn...

Eliana shook her head violently to dispel the strange feeling of familiarity. "So, shall we travel together? If we get lost, we'll get lost together, at least..."

Shadow sighed. "We may as well. At least we'll have company."

"Alright, let's go!" As they headed out in a completely random direction, Eliana suddenly remembered. "Come to think of it, where do you want to go? We may have to split up after getting directions, since I'm going to Cyril."

"Well, to be completely honest, I gave up on planning where I was headed a looooooong time ago. Now I just kind of wander around," Shadow said walking beside Eliana.

"Okay... If you want, let's go to Cyril together! I'm looking for my brother, who apparently has joined a clan with Cyril as its base." She gave him a grin, but it soon faded. "Say... Do you smell smoke?" It was so different from the dry air of the desert that she detected it immediately.

Shadow paused. "Yeah, what do you think it is?"

"I don't know, but we'll just have to find out," she said, already running towards where she could vaguely see a plume of smoke rising up into the sky. A scream, muffled by distance, made her wince. She quickened her pace, not even bothering to make sure that Shadow was following.

Shadow quickly followed behind.

Behind them, the poor cactus lay on the ground, forgotten and well, fallen.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Part 2 of Red and Blue! The plot thickens as more characters join the fray._**

**_Hope you like it!_**

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The uncomfortable smell of something burning tickled his nostrils. He moaned, clapping his gritty hand to his mouth as he retched violently, feeling the sand on his tongue. That was when the pain hit him. There was something heavy on his back, oppressing him, making it difficult for him to breath. As he struggled to escape the strange burden, various hurts registered in his mind. First, something in his chest moved, producing a grating sound, and he heard an unearthly shriek, strangled and breathless, slowly dwindling to whimpers. He realized that it was his own voice he was hearing. To continue, there were strange feelings all over his body, a sensation which made him think he was drowning in boiling water. Somehow, the prickling sensation was _inside_ his skin, burrowing even deeper into his back.

Suddenly, consciousness returned in a flash. His eyes widened in pain and panic as he recalled the danger he had left behind. The village! He screamed soundlessly, the emotional and physical pain battering him back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Eliana almost ran right past the cactus she had knocked down just now in her haste to get to the burning village. Luckily, (for the boy) she tripped right over it. "Ack!" scrambling up quickly, she noticed something strange. There was a hand sticking out from under the cactus! Further inspection showed feet and a sandy blond head which would not have been noticed for it was the same colour as the ground below. Eliana panicked. She couldn't lift the heavy plant, and none of her skills would work for a situation like this. "Shadow!" she yelled, turning to the nu mou who had by now caught up. "Can you do anything to help?"

"Well, I could blow it up, burn it, freeze it, strike it with lightning, make it sick, or fix the cactus. Any of that help?"

Shadow asked.

"Hmm... Blowing it up, burning, freezing and lightning may hurt whoever's underneath... Making it sick would probably take too much time..." Eliana cocked her head in thought. "How're you going to fix the cactus?"

"Life."

Shadow said pointing his mace at the cactus. There was a flash of light and when it faded the cactus stood as though nothing had ever happened.

Eliana gaped. "Nice." Quickly, she knelt down next to the boy. "Looks like the cactus knocked him out..." she observed rather guiltily, "That's a pretty nasty head wound. Other than that and the cactus pricks, there seems to be some minor burns... He probably came from the place that is burning. Can you do something?"

Shadow turned to the boy and sat down next to him.

"Cura."

The boy's injuries quickly disappeared as Shadow put away his weapon.

"Great!" Eliana shook him lightly. "Hey... Can you hear me?" When the boy didn't respond, she felt rather discouraged. But he wasn't dead, at least, which was a relief. There were more pressing matters. "Hey, Shadow! I'll get a headstart to help stop the fire. Can you either stay with him here or carry him? Thanks!" And she was off like a bolt towards the smoke.

"What! What do you mean carry him!"

Shadow yelled after her. He groaned and lifted the boy onto his back before following Eliana.

* * *

Eliana neared the burning village. She would have charged right in if not for the men standing around the place. Skidding to a stop, she darted behind a cactus before anyone saw her. There were two options. She could either get rid of those thugs, or creep in using all her experience as a thief. Both were difficult. Either way, she unsheathed her knives in preparation.

Shadow reached the source of the burning and saw Eliana behind a cactus.

"How can you ditch me with a formerly injured and currently unconcious person in the middle of the desert!"

He yelled walking over to her.

"Idiot!" Eliana dragged him behind the cactus. "They'll notice you!" Too late, the guards were heading their way, looking for the source of the noise. No choice. Eliana jumped from behind the plant, pouncing on one, effectively disarming him. After dealing a hard blow with the hilt, she did the same with the other man. This was done in a speed that left her rather breathless. The polluted air was not helping. Thankfully, the smoke gave them some cover. "Hide him somewhere safe! I'm going in!" she yelled back at Shadow.

"Tch, Like I'm actually letting you go in there alone."

Shadow mumbled setting the boy down in a safe place and following behind Eliana.

* * *

Bianka felt her left eye twitch slightly. Something...unplanned...has occured. Swiftly she ran, feeling herself at one with the wind. Her destination was the centre of the burning village, where a high pole carved with strange wordings and faces stood. Upon reaching it, she continued her run to the top. Her scarf danced behind her, her hands tucked into the folds of her cloak, clutching the hilts of her katanas.

Balanced precariously at the top, Bianka awarded herself with a brief glimpse of the inferno that was her surroundings. Cottages on fire, flames leaping into the air, walls collapsing, villagers weeping. And somewhere...a thief and a sage, judging by their garments. Nothing to do with her. Her lips curled in disgust as two clansmen were felled effortlessly by the thief. If it were not for her Master's orders to recover the Ayvuir Blades, she would not have followed this unsavoury clan of thieves. Unsavoury _and_ unskilled, she corrected herself. Burning villages, humph. How crude. She sniffed in disdain, as she descended. Perhaps she should go to their aid. They _are_, in a twisted, unwholesome sense, her allies.

Bianka tilted her head as she considered. Something below caught her eye. A fighter was blocking the entrance of a house, preventing a human woman with a babe in her arms from escaping. A bloody grin flickered on his face as he drew his blades. The woman screamed, her arms wrapped all the more tightly around the infant as she shielded the now crying child with her torso. Shock raced across the ruthless fighter's face a few seconds later as his arms disappeared, disconnected from his body by a pair of blades. His eyes rolled into his head, and he fainted.

Bianka sniffed, wiping the blood off her katanas with his body.

* * *

Shadow heard a woman scream and ran through the rows of burning building towards the voice.

Shadow stopped near the village center.

"Hello! Is anyone here!"

He yelled over the fire's roaring around him. He squinted and spotted someone crouched over a body next to one of the houses.

* * *

Eliana dashed through the blazing village, attacking several thugs who were terrorising the villagers. "Go! Quickly! Before more of them come! Get as far from this place as possible!" she yelled at a bunch of women and children before setting out on a run again. She had to save as many people as possible. Too many had been lost in the fire already. Her fists clenched. If she had the time, she would have given those jerks the beating of their lives. But the priority now was to help the villagers. She darted forward with new determination.

* * *

Nearby, a group of six were drawing their weapons.

"Cyril Band has not only infiltrated Clan Nutsy's turf, but harmed many lives. We have to stop them," yelled the blond-haired leader over the din.

"Let's go." The other five- black mage, ninja, sniper, elementalist and white mage - dashed in after him.

* * *

Elvos cut down an enemy with one katana and countered another with his other weapon, defeating two in one go. The other members of Clan Nutsy were giving it their all as well, with Stanz healing them with his white magic.

Cyril Band. He had worked with them once, when he had just arrived in Cyril. But he quit the clan for he couldn't stand their ways. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar face. A face which he would have rather not seen ever again. "Rayton..." he gripped his katanas tighter, and set out after him, even though he knew that doing so would take him out of Stanz's range. The man was dressed as a villager, but there was no mistaking the face of the leader of Cyril Band. He moved closer, one weapon raised in preparation of attack.

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Eliana ran through the inferno, felling the criminals left and right. That is, until she spotted an all too familiar face. "Elvos...?" Even though many years had passed, she had no doubt that the brown-haired teen was her brother. And he was attacking a civilian.

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"Rayton." Elvos stood with one katana resting next to his enemy's throat. Even though the other ninja appeared to be weaponless, he knew that Rayton specialized in throwing daggers. Numerous daggers were more than likely hidden in his clothing. Any movement would probably result in both of them dead. True to belief, a dagger appeared in his hand, almost unnoticeable if Elvos had not been alert for any movement.

Eliana had not seen anything of that sort. She dove towards Elvos, knocking his weapon from his hand. They both fell.

In his shock, Elvos almost missed the small blade released from Rayton's hand. Recovering his senses before his sister, he quickly flipped her over and the dagger pierced him instead of her. Another dagger soon followed. Wincing, he ruthlessly yanked them out, sending them straight back into the flesh of their owner. Rayton collapsed, but Elvos knew that it was not fatal. What was important was to get away from him. He dragged the stunned Eliana towards the edge of the village, when they were almost there, he blacked out.

Eliana moved as if in a trance, just following her brother's lead. She still couldn't grasp the fact that Elvos was part of this riot. As she was still an amateur, she hadn't seen the lightning-fast exchange between the two ninjas, and was shocked when he collapsed halfway through their run. Belatedly she noticed the blood seeping through her brother's clothing. "Elvos! Crap..." She managed to move him to a safer area where nothing would soon topple down nor anyone likely to run over him. "I'll get my friend, he can heal you! Hang on!"

She ran towards the place where she had left Shadow previously, which was thankfully not far. To her dismay, all she found was the unconscious boy. "For Mateus' sake!" Dashing back into the village, she headed for the center. It would be easiest to start searching from there.

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	3. Chapter 3

_**Part 3. Enjoy!**_

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"Ultima..." Douglas gasped, kneeling down immediately as he examined his comrade's wounds. Grabbing the nearest amputated arm, the nu mou white mage joined it back to the body carefully, muttering incantations under his breath as a warm light suffused his hands.

Bianka looked on coldly, her poker face hiding the true emotions roiling behind her mask. Why did she act as she did? She was an _assassin_, for Exodus' sake. Lives meant nothing to her. But then, why...

Shaking her head angrily, she barked out, "Woody." A soldier appeared out of nowhere. "Round up all of the villagers and take them somewhere safe. Bear in mind that they _cannot leave this place_. Rayton will interrogate them later. Understood?" Woody nodded curtly, hiding his delight as he marched off, giving orders as he went. Bianka watched the softhearted second-in-command go. In truth, Rayton had expressed no desire to speak to the villagers. But she would make him see the precious information they could give. She must save their lives. They were important to her, in what way, she didn't know. But she would, soon.

Bianka turned around slowly, her katanas poised in front of her. "Who goes there?"

Shadow moved slowly through the smoke facing Bianka.

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

He said fingering his mace.

Bianka narrowed her eyes. Her muscles were relaxed, ready to react in any way possible when alerted. She half-crouched, her right katana in front of her while the other hung deceptively loose in her left hand.

" You have no business to be here. This land is sacred. Leave, before your blood taints the sands."

"Why are you attacking the village?"

Shadow asked drawing his mace and holding it in a defensive position.

"Attack the village?" Bianka looked around in surprise. When she saw no one else on the scene, she pointed to herself, "_me_?"

That was a very stupid thing to do, and she realized it soon. She raised her weapons quickly, in anticipation of the blow-to-come.

Shadow ignored the opportunity she had given him and said.

"You're no amateur. What else am I supposed to think?"

"You're right." Bianka continued to eye him, as she moved slowly, attempting to circle him. "I'm no amateur. Or am I? Would you like to try me?"

Shadow followed her movements not letting her get behind him. Shadow slowly reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a leather pouch.

The consciousness at the edge of Bianka's mind disappeared. She realized with a jolt that the Cyril Band had left, with the villagers of Eluut in tow.

Anger. She hissed, "you have wasted my time, Nu Mou. The lives of these villagers may have ended in your hands." She leapt forward, her more powerful left arm wielding the katana that shielded her side and front, while she slashed her right blade at Shadow. She did not aim to wound, only to shock him so as to delay his chase after her.

"I'm not the one who attacked the village now am I?"

Shadow asked blocking her strike.

* * *

Elvos opened his eyes groggily. For a moment, he wondered where he was. Then the pain struck and he remembered everything. Rayton, the face-off, Eliana... Oh Mateus, Eliana... She probably totally misunderstood the situation. But where was she? Elvos found it hard to think. Damn, his vision was getting blurry again.

He spotted a figure a short distance away from him. Brown hair... Eliana? But as his sight cleared for a moment, he realized that the illusion of brown hair had been caused by dirt and dried blood. The locks underneath were golden. "Marche..." The blond boy didn't hear him, so he tried harder, disregarding his wounds. After all, he was useless like this. Marche would be able to get Stanz over. "Marche!" he yelled with all his remaining strength, then doubled over. Then, he felt a comforting hand on his back. "I'll get Stanz. Hang in there."

Elvos opened his eyes, feeling much better. Stanz got up and sighed. The white mage looked rather tired, but relieved. "Don't you do something so reckless again! You should know better than that!" Elvos winced as the normally gentle nu mou scolded him. "I've got it, Stanz... Sorry."

Standing, he started to follow his friend, but stopped. Returning to the spot where he had been previously, he unclasped his cape and spread it onto the sand, making sure that it wasn't likely to catch fire. Noting that the blood from his wounds had pretty much dried up, he took off one glove and bit a finger. Using the blood, he wrote a message to her.

**"Eliana, I have to leave with my clan. You can find me in Cyril and I'll explain things to you then. -Elvos"** He hesitated for moment, feeling guilty of the hurt he had (and would) surely cause her. **"I'm sorry."**

With that, he ran after Stanz. Cyril Band was getting away, apparently having accomplished their goal. But Clan Nutsy will not let them off this time. They could not let the Avyuir Blades fall into the hands of that evil clan.

* * *

Ryuna followed silently with the remaining villagers as they were herded away by their captors. 'Brother...' She shook her head trying to get rid of the image of her brother's death. She looked up at the villagers who were all in their own state of despair or injury. She quietly went to the nearest injured villager and let her hands take on the familiar glow before putting them over the person's wound. She could grieve later.

* * *

Lance saw smoke from a nearby village. Cursing, he ran to the stables, threw the owner some gil and rode out. When Lance got close enough to see, he wished he didn't, for the village lay ablaze. Jumping off of the Chocobo Lance ran as fast as he could to see if he could help any of the villagers and ran right into the fight between Bianka and Shadow. " Crap I didn't need this," swore Lance as he jumped back.

"Who the heck are you?"

Shadow called to Lance.

"A knight sworn to defend the innocent. Who are you two and what are you doing here?" Asked Lance angrily.

"What's going on?" Eliana finally spotted her friend and ran to Shadow's side, skidding to a stop between the nu mou and Bianka. Shadow had turned slightly away from his original opponent to question the newcomer. This was no time to let his guard down! No matter how good he was, Eliana didn't think he could deal with two skilled opponents at the same time.

Eliana stared pointedly at Bianka. "I've been running through the village, but I haven't seen any of its residents yet. What have your comrades done with them!"

Shadow glanced at Eliana.

"I'm glad you showed up. One I could handle, but two of them... Not so much."

He whispered glancing back and forth between Lance and Bianka.

Lance ignored the newcomer and asked, "I don't have time for this. Now where are the villagers!" After finishing Lance drew his sword and shield then spoke again. "If you don't tell me where they are their blood is on your hands."

"Are you two related? Because she told me that like two minutes ago."

Shadow replied motioning to Bianka.

"I will ask one more time. Where are the villagers." Lance growled as a light aura formed around his blade.

"How should I know? Ask her!"

Shadow yelled motioning to Bianka.

Lance continued to stand there waiting for an answer.

Quick as a flash, Bianka attacked. Shadow immediately raised his weapon to stop her.

She had anticipated Shadow's counter-attack, calculated the force, planned to use it to gain momentum in her retreat. Their weapons met, she took off backwards. Her muscles coiled, tense, ready to execute the backflip that would take her over the burning building behind her.

It was at that exact moment that it hit her. An overwhelming feeling that froze her, brought her down to the ground. It was as if a dam had broken at the core of her being, and the river, now freed, flowed through her, flooded her. It was staggering. Colours flashed past her eyes, forming pictures, people, places, their familiar flavours touching her.

And then, it disappeared. She regained her vision, but somehow, the world seemed duller than it was a few minutes ago. Bianka lurched backwards as she felt something heavy hit her stomach. Her back came into contact with the wall behind her, and she realized, too late, the mistake she had made,and what it would cost her. The roof teetered dangerously and caved in.

"Look out!"

Shadow called to Bianka. 'If something happens to her then we may never find the villagers.'

"No, not again. I will not have innocents die because I failed to act. Let's hope after all these years I still remember how to do this...Land of our fathers heed my call by your great powers you can save us all. Earth veil!" Lance said as he cast an earth veil to support the roof, lifting it away from where the Assassin landed. "Now that won't last forever, so come on!" Yelled Lance as he ran towards the house.

"Earth Veil!"

Everything stopped falling. The sand that had risen to halt the destruction formed temporary walls and a roof. Flames bounced off the shelter. But Bianka wasn't there anymore.

The wind whistled past her ears as she ran. And ran. And ran. Far, far away from the mysterious land that was playing havoc with her mental status. Her mind was in a muddle. She longed to kneel down with her head in her hands and _groan_. What was _wrong_ with her? What _happened_ back there?

She had disgraced her master. _Forgive me,_ she whispered mentally. Still, she continued to run.

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**_Review! We love to know what you think of this._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Part 4_**

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Elvos caught up to the other clan members who had been assigned this mission. "So what happened during my absence?"

Marche looked up from where he and Montblanc were observing the ground. "As far as we can tell, a large number of people headed north..." he pointed towards a road almost completely covered with fallen debris, "But whether we can still find any footprints with all this ash is uncertain..." he turned towards Etoile, who had just returned from scouting ahead. The elementalist shook her head. The trail was lost. No doubt Cyril Band had anticipated their pursuit.

"Alright, time for Plan B! Elvos, lend me your shoulder!" Without waiting for confirmation, Cecille used him to propel onto the roof. Elvos rolled his eyes and looked at the sniper. If they were lucky, Cecille's sharp eyes would be able to spot the villagers. "I think I see a large group somewhere over there!" she pointed towards where the sun was setting.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Ryuna wiped a bead of sweat from her forhead as she moved over to the next injured villager.

"Ryuna... you shouldn't push yourself so hard."

Fiona said coming up beside her.

Ryuna smiled weakly.

"I have to do what I can Elder."

Fiona let the matter rest and walked quietly past her. Ryuna sighed as her hands took on the familiar glow once again.

A while later, Ryuna sighed and sat down next to Fiona. She had gone trough the remaining villagers and healed all the severe injuries, but now she couldn't help but wonder why thier attackers were keeping them here.

"I have a feeling I know what they want, but I also know they will not get it." Fiona replied when Ryuna asked.

"What should we do?" Ryuna asked quietly glancing at the grieving villagers.

"I'm not sure." Fiona replied sighing. "In my younger days I would have fought them and thrown them out of our village like the dogs they are! But now... I can't do anything."

"Elder..."

* * *

Rayton, the leader of Cyril Band, sat broodingly on the roof of a house on the outskirts of the village. Cyril Band had decided to leave those buildings intact so that they didn't have to sleep out in the desert. Their clan white mage had patched him up, so he was much recovered.

One of his subordinates (Rayton didn't bother looking at him) came to his side to inform him of a healer treating the injured villagers, but he couldn't care less. Let them be cured, it wasn't like they could run far anyway. He was more preoccupied about encountering Elvos again after such a long time. So he was a part of Clan Nutsy now, eh? From now on, they would be enemies on the battlefield. Rayton couldn't help but reveal a smirk filled with anticipation. This was going to be fun. Revenge is sweet... And that little girl from just now will make it taste like honey.

Rayton stirred himself from his thoughts and landed nimbly on the ground after jumping off the roof. He looked around, and then raised an eyebrow. Their newest comrade was nowhere in sight. Rayton called to his second-in-command, "Hey, Woody. Where's Bianka?"

"I saw her a while ago, still in the village. She said that you wanted to get information from the villagers?"

Rayton's eyebrow went up again at that statement, but he said nothing. He would question her motives later. For now, neither he nor Woody wanted to harm the villagers. The other clan members, on the other hand...

Rayton sighed and started to walk around the make-shift camp area to ward off any trouble. After all, it wouldn't be good to lose any possible sources of information.

As Rayton walked through the area, many villagers either refused to look at him or immediately scurried away. He could feel the veiled hostility, but they knew that they were powerless against his clan.

Suddenly, he felt the heavy weight of a glare, sending a cold feeling down his spine. Turning around, he met the hard look of a young nu mou. This was rather interesting. Moreover, by the looks of it, she was the little healer helping the villagers. Well, no doubt this would turn out to be unusual. It had been a long time since Rayton had seen such a strong defiant look in his victim's eyes...

Ryuna sat silently next to a brooding Fiona when the leader of their captors walked past. Instead of looking away, as most of the other villagers had, she glared at him.

Their leader turned to her and met her eyes, but Ryuna refused to look away. She wouldn't be afraid of _him._

Rayton stepped closer. "Well, well... What do we have here? That look doesn't suit your cute face, my dear." He strode towards her, an amused smirk on his face. Around them, the villagers were tense. Rayton's fingers brushed against his daggers in his pockets. Any false moves would be dealt with deftly. He felt wary that it was a trap, but none but the most experienced eye could see that in his relaxed posture.

"Really? I hadn't noticed that I was supposed to care what you thought."

Ryuna replied. Fiona glanced at her worriedly.

Rayton grinned and bended down to look her straight in the eye. That fiery gaze was admirable. "You're a brave little lady. But what makes you think that I won't get rid of you immediately, now that you've decided to oppose your captor?"

"I'm not making the assumption that you won't get rid of me..." Ryuna replied glancing at the crowd that had gathered around them. Multiple members of Cyril band included.

"Sir!" Woody suddenly called, rushing over to Rayton's side.

Rayton's face hardened at Woody's report. "Men! Get to your places! We are under attack!" He glanced at the villages, finally resting his eyes on Ryuna, "All villagers are to stay out of our way." He then strode off, hoping that the girl would understand to move the villagers to a safer place so that they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

Ryuna got his silent message, but was quite honestly suprised. She hadn't expected him to be concerned about thier welfare, but then again he must want them for _something, _otherwise they'd all be dead. Ryuna quickly helped Fiona to her feet and the two started directing the other villagers away from the fight.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rayton noted that the villagers were leaving the area. Lighting a match, he tossed it onto the straw roof of a nearby house, and then instructed a black mage to set fire to the others. That would make it more difficult for Clan Nutsy to spot them.

* * *

"Capture everyone! Don't let a single person leave this place! We can't afford to let any members of Cyril Band pretend to be villagers and escape. This ends here. Remember, make sure you don't hurt the villagers! Clan Nutsy, move out!" At Marche's command, the members each ran to their assigned points. They were to use the surround and conquer way, so that they could round up all those involved.

Marche charged forward, but his eyes watered because of the billowing smoke. Winding through the village, he tried to find the members of the enemy clan who had all vanished. Elvos, Etoile and Montblanc were doing likewise in different sections of the area.

Cecille perched herself on the roof of an intact building, bow in hand. But even from her high vantage point, she could see neither Cyril Band nor the villagers. Below, Stanz prepared to back-up any of his fellow clan members, whether with his white magic or his black magic, which was still unhoned but would do in an emergency.

Marche clashed swords with a fighter, both struggling to keep the upper hand. The sudden interference of a third individual split Marche's attention for a split second and proved to be his downfall.

Elvos was doing well against a few members of Cyril Band who were obviously new and untrained. That is, until several arrows pierced his leg, successfully immobilizing him. Another arrow caused his katanas to fall to the ground. The ninja cursed as the ones surrounding him knocked him down.

Montblanc spun around to deal a powerful Blizzara onto a group of his attacker. But he failed to notice that another set of clan members had arrived.

Stanz blocked a warrior's weapon with his staff, but his arms were already shaking from the unaccustomed strain. Behind him, Cecille shot arrow after arrow, but didn't manage to avoid a Thundara which suddenly lanced down onto her spot. Without help and enough space to maneuver, Stanz was soon overpowered.

Etoile clutched her rapier tightly in one hand, wary of any attacks. Her suspicions proved correct when a mog knight dove towards her from her left. Raising her weapon quickly to block the attack, she didn't expect to feel a hard object connect with the back of her head. Sheathing his sword, Woody dismissed the moogle who had accompanied him. He picked up the fallen elementalist and headed towards where Cyril Band had set up camp. Honestly, Clan Nutsy didn't stand a chance. They were completely outnumbered.

* * *

Ryuna had led the remaining villagers well away from the village and looked back. The few standing buildings were now ablaze and smoke obscured everything from sight. She paused looking at the villagers who were deciding whether or not to take advantage of the situation and escape to the far side of the village. In the end they decided to go and try to avoid capture.

"Come on Ryuna. Let's get out of here!" Daren said tugging on her sleeve. Ryuna gently pulled her hand away and shook her head.

"R-Ryuna..." The cowardly thief continued.

"Let her go. If she wants to get herself killed then fine." Cain said grabbing Daren and leading him away. "Have a nice life!"

"I can't change your mind can I?" Fiona asked coming up to her.

"No... I still have things things to do. Goodbye Elder." Ryuna said smiling gently.

Fiona weakly smiled back and left through the wreckage with the other villagers. Once they were well out of sight Ryuna turned and started back towards the area where Cyril Band and Clan Nutsy fought.

Ryuna hurried past the battle and into one of the ruined buildings. 'Where did he put it?' Ryuna searched the ruins of her home until she found what she was looking for under a pile of ash. 'Gotcha.' She gently picked up a small emblem that looked like it had seen better days. It was old and rusted masking it's true importance. 'I can't let them have this.' She thought quickly pocketing the emblem and looking out a ruined window as Clan Nutsy fell one-by-one.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

**_Thank you to Wild Ceteruler for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_**

**_Part 5_**

* * *

"We've captured them, sir. It seems like there are only six." All of the members of Clan Nutsy had been bound hand and foot, and then set on a patch of clear ground. Yet Rayton had more pressing matters on hand. He had a nagging feeling that impertinent little white mage had taken his order as a chance to let the villagers escape. After instructing Woody to deal with the trapped would-be-rescuers, he strode off in the direction where the villagers had left. Finding nothing, he proceeded to walk around the village. Suddenly, a flash of white caught his eye, and he spotted Ryuna through a charred window.

Ryuna saw Rayton turn to look at her. Cursing under her breath she turned and ran through the ruins of her former home. Escaping through a hole in the back wall she kept running. 'I can't get caught!'

"Hey, you!" Rayton quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "You let the villagers go, didn't you!" Without letting her reply, he started to drag her to their temporary headquarters.

Ryuna struggled, but couldn't escape the ninja's clutches. She let herself be dragged along behind him, glaring holes in his back all the way.

"What do you want?" Ryuna asked still glaring.

Rayton didn't even glance backwards. "The Avyuir Blades."

Ryuna's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she returned to glaring. "And what makes you think I know anything about them?"

"Greatly grieved, the loyal Mog Knight returned to his place of birth with the Ayvuirs red and blue to await the one worthy of his best friend's blessings," he quoted. "Lini's home, Eluut Sands. Not to mention the uniqueness of the villagers." He finally stopped and looked at her. "Now you tell me why won't we think that this village's residents know of the blades."

"And you think that anyone would tell you even if we did know?" Ryuna asked glaring straight into his eyes.

"And that's what we're going to find out. I'm sure the other villagers are still within this area owing to the curse, but we'll start with you first." Rayton continued to drag her along.

"You won't have the Avyuir blades. No matter who you ask. No one from this place will tell you anything. You're just wasting your time," Ryuna stated as she was dragged along behind him.

Rayton said nothing as they reached their destination. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Clan Nutsy tied up in the center of their camp. Ignoring the hostility radiating from both behind him and the captured clan members, he turned to his comrades. "So, what's the current status?"

"So far the villagers have proved elusive. Clan Nutsy aren't making it very easy either," Woody told Rayton.

"Wasn't she one of the captives?" Aaron asked motioning to Ryuna who glared at him.

Rayton motioned to Woody. "Do something about her. I'm going to locate the other villagers."

After making sure that Ryuna wasn't going to bolt the moment he passed her to Woody, he turned and strode out of the camp.

"Tie her up," Woody said passing Ryuna to Aaron who bound her arms and all but threw her straight into Elvos.

"Now be a good girl and stay there. We'll deal with you all in a bit."

Having been trying to ease a small dagger from his sleeve with both hands tied, Elvos winced slightly when the tip of the knife pierced his finger as Ryuna slammed into him. Looking at the girl, he asked, "Hey, you alright?"

Suddenly, he was struck by an idea. "Say, can you move? I have a dagger in my boot. Do you think that you could get it for me without them noticing?"

"I can try," Ryuna whispered reaching down into Elvos boot and grabbing the hidden dagger. She quickly flipped over off of Elvos and gently pushed the dagger towards him glaring at Cyril Band the whole time.

Moving slowly so that their captors would not suspect anything amiss, Elvos took the knife from Ryuna's hand, but was forced to hide it behind him immediately as one of the guards glanced over. When the man continued to look at Ryuna suspiciously, he could do nothing but work inconspiciously behind his back. After freeing his hands, he proceeded to cut away his clanmates' bonds. When he was done, they waited for the best time to launch their counter attack. Cyril Band hadn't been thinking straight when they threw them in a circle. Elvos sent an apologetic look at the white mage in front of him, vowing to get her free the moment he could.

Ryuna saw that Elvos had freed his clanmates and looked around at the group of guards.

"You want something?" Ryuna asked the guard that had been watching her for the past 20 minutes.

At her words, the guard started to stalk angrily towards her but was stopped by a warning look from Woody. Disgruntled, he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.

"Wimp," Ryuna quipped.

The man stormed towards her when he heard the insult, disregarding the second-in-command's glare. He raised his unsheathed sword, preparing to strike her. Woody moved quickly, but not as fast as Elvos who kicked the weapon right out of the guard's hand.

Immediately, all present member of Clan Nutsy got in action. A well-aimed arrow shot the guard down before he could grab his weapon. Elvos knelt down to slice through Ryuna's bonds before heading out to help his teammates. "Get somewhere safe!" he called back at her as he set out in a run.

* * *

"Where is she?" Shadow asked looking around for Bianka.

Eliana tugged on Shadow's arm, pulling him along. "Shadow... Can you heal my brother? I left him nearby to find you." she bit her lip, worried about what may have happened to Elvos while she was gone.

"Your brother? When did he get here? Weren't you looking for him?" Shadow questioned as he was pulled along.

When they finally reached the spot Eliana had left Elvos, there was no one there. Her eyes spotted the cape which her brother had been wearing previously. Picking it up, she looked at the message scribbled on top. Still clutching the cloth, she turned to Shadow. "Let's go after the bandits. I think that when we find them, we'll find Elvos as well." With determination in her eyes, she stuffed the cloak into her bag and set off in the direction where she could see a large plume of smoke rising.

"Okay, but do you really think we can handle them on our own?" Shadow said following.

Eliana stopped. There was no saying how many of them would be there. They would be throwing themselves into sure defeat if they went without help. Especially if Elvos and that assassin from just now were with the bandits. She turned to Shadow. "Why don't we make sure the villagers are okay first? If they are captured, we'll do our best to help them."

"Alright. Let's go villager hunting." Shadow replied.

"I think that area is where the bandits are. We'll go there to check if the villagers have been captured or not, then start from there if we don't find them." With that, Eliana continued walking, checking for any signs of people in the charred village.

Shadow walked slowly beside her looking for any sign of movement, villager or otherwise.

After a while of silence, a movement nearby caught her eye. Quickly, Eliana dodged behind a building that still had enough left to hide her, pulling Shadow along as well. Her eyes widened as she saw the man Elvos had been fighting with just now. He seemed to be looking for something. Well, whether he was a villager or someone else, following him would probably lead them to what they were searching for. She started to tail him carefully.

Shadow followed along silently.

Rayton's hands slipped into his pockets when he felt movement behind him. Pulling out two daggers, he spun around and threw them. The knifes snagged Eliana's cape, pinning her to a wall. He moved closer. "Well, well. If it isn't the little girl from just now..." Rayton's hand rested on his katana, prepared for attack. His senses told him that there was another person around.

Shadow saw what happened to Eliana and pulled a pouch from his robe.

"Flare!" he said, throwing it at Rayton. Once the pouch got near him it exploded.

Rayton coughed, trying to see through the smoke. Unfortunately, his eyes stung too much for him to spot anything at all. Damn! He hadn't thought that it would be a magic user, much less use a trick like this!

Quickly, Eliana yanked out the daggers which were restricting her. She held on to them for good measure in case Rayton decided to attack. She ran towards Shadow, getting as far from the smoke as she could.

"Come on!" Shadow called grabbing Eliana's arm and pulling her away.

They ran for a while, winding through the roads. Glancing back, Eliana panted out, "I think we lost him..." After regaining her breath, she asked Shadow, "Who do you think he was? At first, I thought he was a villager, but now I don't really believe that anymore..."

"He could be with the... Do you hear that?" Shadow began before he heard the distinct sound of metal clashing.

Eliana's eyes widened. "Let's go!"

They rushed towards the source of the sound.

* * *

Lance after not being able to find anything in the wreckage of the building. Started to his search for the villagers and after about ten minutes he heard the sounds of battle cursing at his foolishness Lance charged toward the noise his Arch sword unsheathed.

Lance came upon a confused warrior, running at full speed Lance slammed his shield into the warrior's face knocking the warrior into a daze. But Lance kept running toward the battle not stopping to mess with the warrior.

Lance continued to run the sound of battle ringing louder.

Ryuna turned to leave, but before she could Aaron hit her over the head knocking her unconcious.

Growling, Elvos dove towards Aaron, both katanas drawn.

Aaron laughed and sidestepped Elvos attack.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he called, drawing his spear.

* * *

Reaching the battlefield, Eliana stared at the chaos before her, wide eyed. There was no telling who was friend or foe, but what she could see was that one side appeared to be outnumbered. Then, in the mess she spotted the familiar form of her brother, and a collapsed figure lying on the ground.

"Where are the villagers?" Shadow asked Eliana as the fight continued.

"I don't think they're here... Except for one." With that, she set off towards Ryuna, dodging nimbly between the fighting. Once she was there, she shook Ryuna's shoulder in an effort to wake her up. "We need to get out of here."

* * *

Elvos' katana clashed with Aaron's spear as he lunged at him. Narrowing his eyes, he brought up the katana in his left hand.

Aaron raised the other end of his spear so that he blocked the second blade as well. Smirking he kicked Elvos in the stomach.

Winded by the blow, Elvos skidded back a bit. Bringing his hands together, he called upon one of the skills he had mastered. "Earth Veil." Should the attack be successful, Aaron won't be going anywhere soon, which would give Elvos an advantage.

Aaron got caught in Elvos earth veil, but spotted Eliana just within reach. He grabbed her cape and pulled her towards him pressing the tip of his spear to her neck.

"Eliana!" Shadow called as Ryuna slowly came to.

Elvos froze for a moment when he saw Eliana in Aaron's grasp. But he soon calmed himself. He could not let Aaron know how important his captive was to him. He forced himself to relax his posture. Now, trickery was the best thing. "Why, Aaron. Do you really think that I would care about a simple little girl's well-being? Looks like you forgot about me." As far as Elvos could remember, he and Aaron had only met on the battlefield during his time as a member of Cyril Band. Any meetings within headquarters would only show him alone in a corner, ignoring the noise around him. With only the memory of Elvos' prowess in a fight, he hoped that Aaron would fall for the ploy.

"And what makes you think I'm holding her to stop you? I'm just keeping the black one occupied. It just wouldn't do to have him interfere," Aaron said smirking at Shadow.

"Let her go!" Shadow yelled.

"Why should I?" Aaron replied pressing the tip of the blade closer to Eliana.

"Well, somehow you holding a hostage is more of an interference than someone else barging in. It would be so unfulfilling for me to defeat you while you're hands are full," said Elvos, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, You'd probably need the advantage to even hit me. I know how you fight Elvos. Nothing you do can hurt me anymore," Aaron replied with the same smirk.

"Che." Elvos rolled his eyes. "Likewise, Aaron. I'll give you a warning, it's unwise to underestimate me."

During this entire conversation, Eliana's mind was reeling. What was going on? It was like she didn't know her brother anymore. This Elvos was a completely different person from the kind brother she had known. And who was on which side?

"But I suppose your right. Oh, well sorry girly but you just lost your value," Aaron said as he stabbed towards her.

A moment later, Aaron's weapon flew from his hand with the force of Elvos' kick. Quickly, Elvos pushed Eliana towards Shadow, trusting that he would keep her safe. He then leveled a katana at Aaron. "This is between you and me."

"So you _do _care what happens to her. When did that happen? Wasn't it just a few minutes ago that you claimed you didn't," Aaron taunted.

"Did that even make any sense?" Shadow asked checking on Eliana.

"No," said Eliana, breathing heavily from her frightening ordeal. She could not tear her eyes from the fight. Who was on which side? Everything had just become too confusing for her to understand.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

_Elder._

Fiona recognized the call immediately. She nodded to acknowledge Leda's presence. Somehow, it was hard to talk to someone who sang in response.

_Elder, I seek my son. His present status is dangerous. I would like your permission to leave the village._

Fiona cleared her throat. "Leda, the clan is still near. When they see him in his true form...think what this will mean to the village! We sent him away for a reason."

_Even now, he lies near death. His spirit cannot be kept away too long, Elder. His body is not strong enough. We cannot lose him._

That much was true. The village's existence depended on the boy. That was why protecting him from the clan was so important.

_He is frail. He will not last long. It takes much time for him to fully recover. His physique will not be the problem. I have to break the seal soon!_

The urgency of Leda's song showed in the sudden rising of her pitch. Fiona bit her lip, and nodded.

"Godspeed, Leda." By leaving the village, Leda would harm herself, too...but they both knew that the child came foremost.

_Wait for me, my child_...The drifting song touched Fiona's ears, and she sighed. Curses to the power of Greed!-the cause of this sad family's separation.

* * *

Leda touched the pale face of her young son. Her fingers gently roamed over his delicate features, wiping off sand and dried blood. Her eyes, though unseeing, were anxious. She spread her hands around his head, her palms covering his left and right solar plexus, her thumbs coming into contact with the centre of his forehead. And she started singing.

Fiona heard the song, and sighed again, in relief this time. Though the song was soft, its power was so immense it could be heard throughout the desert. It soothed, calmed, refreshed, awakened. It touched the core of every person within hearing distance. Slowly the song rose, reaching its climax, power filling the voice to the brim, almost overflowing, layer overlapping layer, thickening, increasing in tempo...and it broke, dropped, the singer apparently having exhausted her energy in the intricate weavings of the chant.

Fiona felt her throat go dry. _Leda!_ Her heart twisted painfully for the young mother. A failed weaving meant she would not be able to extract herself from the song. She would surely expire with it, and her son, trapped in the void...their village was doomed.

The song picked up again. Incredulity filled the Elder, and she listened. The voice was unlike Leda's gentle lilting tone, but there was a certain resemblance, the soothing quality in the clear soprano unmistakable. Realization dawned. Could it be...?

The song did not slow when it neared the end. Surely the boy's spirit was whole once again...oh, horror! What was Leda's daughter _doing_?

Slowly the soprano was joined by a high tenor and alto. The three voices, so alike, yet so different...

Seven hues of the rainbow flew in from different directions, breaking through the smoke-filled sky, meeting above the hidden village of Eluut Sands, whirling into a vortex of colors, spinning faster and faster, bursting into a white light that flooded all.

_Listen. Stop, hear us._

Layer upon layer of music, voice melted into voice.

_Our world strays...Ivalice drifts...The string to the kite has been frayed...a planet with no Sun, no centre, no guide...we will cease to exist...be no more..._

Numerous voices spoke through the song, different wordings, yet they came out with the same meaning. Different notes, yet they came out the same melody.

_The pillars have fallen. That which ties our world to reality...that which gives our world essence...holds us to the plane of being...has been shattered._

_The Change is coming...prepare. The Turning Point is approaching...be ready._

_Find the thirteen beacons of Aisen. They will light the way to the New World. Seek the Double Steelstick of the Red Biskmatar...set the world on fire. Give it life, give it reason...and rhyme._

The last came in unison.

_Call us when in dire need. Be aware: our true form is not for the mortal eyes._

The light dimmed as the song ceased. Somewhere in the desert, a family of three collapsed in each other's arms.

* * *

Ryuna heard the song and rushed towards the source of the voice. If anything she couldn't let anything happen to them.

Ryuna reached the source of the voices and ran over to them.

"Leda! Are you alright?" she asked, crouching beside the young mother. Ryuna hurriedly checked each of them over. They seemed to be fine, just exhausted. "Thank goodness..."

* * *

On his way back toward the campsite, Rayton came to a stop, listening to the song. What was going on? Is this the power of the villagers? As the sky was suddenly filled with color, he spun around and started sprinting. Where were they? He had to know what was happening. It was unlike anything he had seen before. As he neared the edge of the village, he could here the voices more clearly. Determined, he pressed on.

Rayton finally reached the edge of the village. Coughing slightly after having inhaled more smoke than he liked, he took in the scene before him. The majority of the villagers were nowhere to be seen. The only people there were a young woman and two children. He watched as his former captive rushed to their side. He would observe the situation first, then take action.

* * *

"Tch, these lights are beginning to annoy me, but not as much as you Elvos," Aaron stated before charging at his former clanmate.

"Che." Elvos brought his katana up to block Aaron's attack, but nevertheless skidded back from the force of the blow. His foot collided with the wall of a house, and he used the surface to propel himself into the air. Raising his katana, he prepared to strike from above.

Aaron stood there smirking before turning and throwing his spear at Eliana, knowing he couldn't do anything to stop it from midair.

Eliana's eyes widened as the spear whizzed towards her. In an attempt to dodge, she tipped sideways while pushing Shadow in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, the weapon came too fast and grazed her shoulder, creating a large gash. Clutching her injured arm, she glared at him. "That was low!"

Elvos tightened his grip on his katana, preparing to land a blow on Aaron. It was his chance! Aaron was now unarmed. "You'll pay dearly for that, you scum!"

Hate to break it to you Elvos, but the tip of my spear... I coated it with poison," Aaron replied just before he was hit.

"You damn lizard!" He sliced blindly at Aaron, then ran to Eliana's side. Dropping to his knees next to her, he rummaged his pouch for an antidote. "Hang in there..." Finally, he took out a small bottle and immediately uncorked it.

Aaron fell to the ground clutching a wound on his shoulder. He took a glance at Elvos and forced himself to stand. _Now I know your weakness Elvos._ He thought as he went searching for Douglas.

* * *

Rayton stepped out of his hiding place. "Looks like I've found you, little mage. And some fascinating characters as well." He walked closer. His posture remained arrogant and relaxed, with his thumbs casually hooked in his pockets. "This proves to be interesting..."

Ryuna gasped and whipped around to face him. "What are you doing here?"

"That lovely melody, who wouldn't be attracted to it?" He eyed the three fallen forms, then turned his gaze to her. "But to think that you managed to escape and reach here so soon... It seems that I underestimated you."

"Either that or your men are incompetent," she replied, stepping protectively in front of the unconscious family.

With a flick of his wrists, his daggers were in his hands. "Do you truly believe that you can oppose me, little girl?"

"I can try," Ryuna replied.

"New orders, Rayton. Catch."

The ninja knife sliced through the air, aimed for Rayton's face. Bianka stood but a few miles from the duo, her face expressionless, looking as though she had been there all along, waiting for their appearance.

Ryuna turned in shock. Looking for the one who had thrown the blade.

Rayton deftly snatched the dagger out of mid air. He observed the mysterious assassin with half-closed eyes. Despite her face that revealed nothing, she looked slightly worse for wear. So she wasn't completely untouchable. Interesting. "What did _he _say?"

"He who?" Ryuna asked looking between the two.

Bianka didn't quite like the calculating look on Rayton's face. He was up to something, and she needed to know what.

"Read the message." Her tone was calm, even bored. She inclined her head slightly towards the knife in his hand.

Turning to Ryuna, she placed her gloved hand over her heart and bowed. "Peace, Eluutian. We have urgent tasks at hand. It would not do to delay the Singers' return to the village. We must hurry. They are exhausted, their aura glows but feebly. I seek your permission to approach them."

Ryuna paused sizing Bianka up for a moment before stepping aside to let her pass.

"Thank you," Bianka murmured as she slipped past Ryuna, kneeling down in the sand. The family of three was entangled in each other's arms, and the sight struck a chord in Bianka's heart. An image flashed before her eyes, but before she could understand it, it was gone, and something heavy seemed to weigh her down, suffocating her.

She forced herself to concentrate. Her heart ached, fighting against the strange resistance that sealed her emotions. She noticed something, laughed lightly. "The number is just right. And the genders, too. I'll carry the woman, you can take the baby, and," she paused, "perhaps Rayton would help us bring the boy?" It was a question, at once asking for Ryuna's permission, and also discretely calling Rayton's attention to the situation.

Ryuna glanced at Rayton obviously not trusting him, but she knew the three had to return to the village soon so she reluctantly nodded.

Rayton looked up from the missive and nodded. Stowing it away in this pocket for future reference, he strode towards the boy and picked him up. The little boy was as light as he looked. Shifting the form in his arms in order to support him better, he looked at his companions. "Where to?"

"We have to get them back to the village," Ryuna replied picking up the little girl and watching Rayton like a hawk.

Bianka touched the hollow at the base of Leda's throat. A pale white light winked at the tip of her index finger, and disappeared. Leda's eyes rolled beneath her eyelids.

Gently, she slung the young woman over her shoulder. "Hurry," she urged.

"Alright. Follow me," Ryuna told them as she started in the direction of the village, glancing back occasionally.

* * *

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